The present invention relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to footwear used for dancing.
Every culture around the world includes some form of dancing. In less advanced cultures, the dance movements may be very simple. In more advanced cultures, the form of dance may be very developed and complex, such as ballet. Regardless of the type of dance, however, all dance movements involve the use of the feet. When an individual dances, the feet are stomped, flexed and pointed, and used to jump, leap, bend, spine, turn, etc. Further, dance movements are executed on various types of floor materials. Some of these floor materials may be abrasive or tacky, which could cause foot injuries.
When dancing, the feet are often protected using shoes and foot coverings having padding on the sole portions thereof. Traditional dance shoes have a continuous sole running the length of the bottom of the shoe. Examples of continuous sole dance shoes include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,199,878, 5,220,735, and 6,705,026. While continuous sole dance shoes effectively protect the feet from direct exposure to a floor, such shoes have limited flexibility. The lack of flexibility makes it more difficult for a dancer to move his or her feet into the various foot positions.
Recently, designers have incorporated a split sole structure into dance shoes. In the split sole design, a first sole underlies the toe and ball section of the foot and a second sole, spaced from the first sole, underlies the heel section of the foot. The arch section of the foot is not supported by either the first or the second sole, but is supported by a flexible material that extends between the first and the second soles. Split sole shoe designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,519,148 and 4,554,749, which teach a shoe or slipper that is usable in a dance application, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,076,248 and 5,682,685, which teach ballet pointe shoes having a flexible band, wrapped around the arch section of the foot. U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,124 and U.S. Patent Appln. No. 2003/0029055 illustrate a dance shoe having a diamond shaped “gusset” region covering the arch of the foot. While the above-described shoes provide enhanced flexibility during foot movement, there remains a problem with material bunching beneath the arch of the foot. Moreover, the above-described shoes do not allow the dancer to maintain a tactile awareness of the floor surface, because the material underlying the foot creates a barrier between the foot and the floor.
Another form of dance, commonly referred to as modern dance, is performed barefoot. Although modern dance is based upon movements found in classical ballet, the dramatic movements, completed barefoot, may cause serious foot injuries. In response to the need for some form of foot protection, a few designs have been created, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,237,652 and 6,018,888, both of which incorporate an open toe structure having a strap running between the large toe and next toe, and a heel strap. Unfortunately, both of these designs completely cover the ball section of the foot, restricting a dancer's tactile sense of the floor. Additionally, the heel strap found in both designs may press into the heel, causing discomfort.
A product sold under the trademark DANCE PAWS, by Dance Paws LLC of Cambridge, Mass., provides a form-fitting, toe-less sock that covers the forward half of a foot. Referring to FIG. 1, the form-fitting sock 20 is made of spandex and has an elastic band 22 that holds the sock 20 over a forward half of the foot. The sock 20 has a leading end 24 with five openings 26A-26E—one for each toe. The sock 20 also has a trailing end 28 with a large opening for inserting the foot. The underside of the sock 20 has a single suede patch 30 attached thereto. The suede patch 30 covers the ball portion of the foot, and extends from the leading end 24 toward the trailing end 28 and between an inside 32 and an outside 34 thereof. When the sock 20 is pulled over the foot, the single suede patch 30 generally covers the ball of the foot, extending from the inside of the foot to the outside of the foot. The suede patch 30 is not elastic. As a result, the sock cannot expand and stretch in the ball region thereof for accommodating expansion and stretching of the foot during various dance maneuvers.
Thus, there is a need for a dance shoe or foot covering that will protect and cushion the foot. There is also a need for a dance shoe or foot covering that will not restrict or constrain the foot as the foot moves through various positions. There is also a need for a dance shoe or foot covering that enables a dancer to adequately sense the floor with the bottom of the foot. In addition, there is a need for a dance shoe or foot covering that enables the ball of the foot to stretch and expand as necessary, as well as a dance shoe or foot covering that provides more traction in certain areas and less traction in other areas.